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Vitamin E oil

8K views 10 replies 2 participants last post by  Mjskates 
#1 ·
Willow has a some dry skin, and I was wondering if it's ok to just use vitamin E oil (not in the capsules) So far when I looked at different sites everyone is using capsules.

I also heard somewhere that vitamin E oil can clog their pores. Is this something to be concerned about? I'm just going to be using the oil in her oatmeal bath. What oils have you guys found most effective for dry skin?
 
#2 ·
Oil in general can clog their pores, it's not just vitamin E. That's part of why you have to be careful how much you use, and also why it's not a good idea to use it if there's any concern they may have a skin infection (it can make it worse).

I think capsules are used more often as you can just grab one capsule at a time & not worry about the whole jar of oil being open. I don't know how much of a concern that is & if it makes much of a difference though - people also use things like coconut oil, and I don't know of that coming in a capsule.

I used to use flaxseed oil for Lily's skin. I don't use any oil with my current girls though.
 
#4 ·
A couple drops in the rinse water won't hurt, to see if it helps, but it's not usually a huge deal. Something that a few people discovered is that having sand baths available seemed to actually help with dry skin & it's a more natural way for hedgehogs to clean themselves than with water. If you search in Housing/Accessories, I think that's where the threads were posted... I know FinnickHog was one of the ones who gave it a try. :)
 
#7 ·
Do you think it's safe to have in their cages 24/7. I was looking into it a little and hedgehogs seem to enjoy it. I will definitely do it. Is children's play sand safe? I was also thinking of maybe using oatmeal as an alternative to sand. Sounds silly but it seems a little safer to me.
 
#8 ·
I'm not sure oatmeal would have the effect, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to try. I can't think of any major dangers to it. I think play sand would be considered safe, I know chinchilla sand, crushed walnut bedding, and something else (some kind of reptile sand, I think?) have all been tried.
 
#10 ·
It's up to you, really. I would probably try it with supervised playtime first, just to see how it goes. But FinnickHog left it in Finn's cage all the time, at least last I knew. I can't remember who else was giving it a try anymore, unfortunately.

I may end up fashioning a sand box to stick in Bindi's cage, now that this has reminded me, so I'll let you know how it goes once I get a chance! Probably going to wait until after this weekend, they have to look nice for my dad's first visit to my place. :lol:
 
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